Comedy of Errors
by khay
Summary: *ABANDONED* Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and answers the age-old question, "how many frogs does a girl have to kiss in order to find her prince?" AU. ToFuu.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,256

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 1_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 1591: Rent an expensive sports car and drive by your friends' houses._

* * *

Fuuko Kirisawa was having one of those moments when she wished with all her heart that the earth would open up and swallow her whole.

Blue and red lights danced in the sky, and the wail of sirens overpowered the curious whispers surrounding her.

Served her right for agreeing, albeit against her better judgment, to go out in a blind date arranged by her boss, a good and well-meaning man but whose circle of friends was two centuries older than dirt.

A man in a white scrub suit walked up to her. "We'll be going now, ma'am. Are you sure you don't want to ride in the ambulance with us?"

Biting back a groan, Fuuko shook her head. "It's fine. I just got off the phone with someone who knows Mori-san's family. He'll make sure that someone will meet him in the hospital."

The medic nodded and signaled to his driver before boarding the ambulance.

Fuuko watched in silence as the ambulance drove away. One by one, the gossip mongers around her dispersed and continued on with what they were doing before Mori-san provided them with entertainment for the night.

She should have known better than to date a guy who wouldn't even get out of the car and ring the doorbell like a sane person. No siree! Her date must've had something against knocking on doors. He'd rather stay inside his car and honk (he did, in fairness, sent her a text message that he was already outside and could she please get a move on).

Fuuko had second (not to mention third and fourth) thoughts about entire thing when she saw her blind date, who was obviously going through a midlife crisis with his cherry-red convertible and tight, leather pants (which would have looked great on a twenty- or thirty-something man with a great body, but was just plain disgusting on a fifty-year old with a potbelly). She was ready to pretend that she was just out for a stroll (and not looking for her blind date) when her date waved at her. Rats! He must recognized her after googling her or looking for her pictures in Facebook or something.

And then, during the entire ride to the restaurant, her date's hand kept slipping from the car's clutch onto her thigh. Worst, once they made it to their table at the restaurant, the man didn't even pretend to look at her eyes when they were talking, preferring instead to openly ogle her breasts!

So when Mori-san started choking and clutching his chest, Fuuko didn't know whether to be worried or relieved. On the upside, she didn't have to invent an excuse to go home sans him. The downside was, Mori-san appeared to be having a heart attack.

Thanks to the restaurant's well-trained staff, professional help was quickly sought and a tragedy was avoided. Not quickly enough, however, to spare Fuuko the embarrassment of having a date collapse on her. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough for a twenty-something woman to dine out with a man more than half her age, her date just had to stage a scene (never mind that he didn't exactly planned said scene in advance).

But still, her boss was _soo_ going to owe her.

With a pathetic sigh that originated from the very bottom of her soles, Fuuko Kirisawa turned to go back inside the restaurant to get her things.

"Fuuko Kirisawa." A deep, oddly familiar voice drawled. "I should have known."

Fuuko Kirisawa found herself looking into a pair of eyes with a shade of blue she knew could belong only to, "Mi-chan?"

* * *

One of Japan's most eligible bachelors, Tokiya Mikagami, unconsciously adjusted the cuffs of his suit while keeping an eye on the goings-on in his newly-opened restaurant, _Ensui_. Most of the females (and some of the males) sighed with longing at the man who effortlessly oozed with sex appeal.

One of the best things Mikagami did in his life was to quit his profitable law practice, against the advice of his senior partners, and buy a flailing restaurant in Tokyo. He renamed the restaurant _Ensui _and within months, he had turned it into one of the most in-demand _it_ place in the area.

Tokiya Mikagami learned that he inherited his grandfather's talent for making money. From his older sister, Mikagami acquired the passion for cooking. Through _Ensui_, Mikagami was able combine his two talents effortlessly. Pretty soon, he grew restless with just the Tokyo branch and he thereafter found himself planning the opening of other _Ensui_ branches around the country.

_Ensui_'s success soon catapulted Mikagami from obscurity into fame and fortune. The public loved not only his silvery hair and blue eyes, but also his playboy-ish, touch-me-not persona. He soon earned the moniker _Iceman_ for his propensity for dating different woman without committing to any of them. Not that he led on the women he dated. From the very first time he asked them out, he was very up-front with them that he did not want marriage, family or children. But the women, being women, heard only what they wanted to hear and thought that they would be the one to show him the errors of his ways.

For now, Mikagami, whom some considered to have reached the pinnacle of his success at age thirty, wanted nothing more than to concentrate on his restaurants, instead of pursuing trivial matters such as marriage and children.

Mikagami's attention was caught for a moment by a woman who walked in the door with someone who was channeling Ricky Martin (unfortunately, he did not receive the memo that there was a minimum age requirement for doing so). Ricky Martin-wannabe seemed to be doing everything possible to pour himself into the woman's dress. Ricky was enjoying himself. The woman was not.

And there was something about the woman which looked oddly familiar...

But before Mikagami could ponder the matter, his attention was diverted to the recent drama of his temperamental chef, who did not want to follow Mikagami's tried and tested recipes, asserting that doing so would run against his artistic flair. Pushing the woman out of his mind, Mikagami devoted his entire attention to the smallest details of running a restaurant.

Later, however, the luxury of ignoring the woman was torn away from him when Ricky-wannabe started clutching his chest. Mikagami figured that the sight of the woman's cleavage was enough to give the grandfather-in-denial a heart attack. With a sigh, he snapped open his cellphone and dialed the emergency number. He just knew that he would end up being sued over this debacle and his mug would once more grace the covers of the tabloids which had nothing better to do that to report alien abductions and the latest caper of pop princesses gone bad.

After the hubbub had died down, he looked for the woman to offer his assistance and to do damage control. He saw her outside, staring after the ambulance which was long gone. It made him wonder what dire circumstance the woman was in to motivate her to become some man's trophy girl.

When the woman turned to go into the lobby, that's when it struck him that he actually knew her. The reason he didn't recognize her before was because it was the last place and situation he would have placed her.

"Fuuko Kirisawa." Mikagami drawled with a shake of his head. "I should have known."

And oddly enough, the next word that came out of her mouth didn't surprise him at all.

"Mi-chan?"

* * *

_To be continued (hopefully)._


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,522

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 2_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 1950: Admit your quirks (but not too many at one time)._

* * *

Everything was Recca Hanabishi's fault.

Before Fuuko Kirisawa went back to Japan to pursue a PhD, she was bouncing around the four corners of the world, chasing hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and other hiccups of mother nature. She was very happy and content with her job as a research correspondent in one of the international science and technology channels on television. Travel and adventure was pretty much an everyday thing for her and she thought she couldn't ask for anything more.

Until she had dinner with her friend Recca Hanabishi and his wife, Yanagi.

The moment Fuuko stepped inside the Hanabishi house, Recca unceremoniously shoved Recca Junior at her. Not used to children, Fuuko's eyes widened in horror as she held the year-old baby at arms length. However, when Junior regaled her with a drooly smile, Fuuko promptly and irrevocably fell in love.

Which probably jump-started the tick-tocking of her biological clock.

If it weren't for Recca and Recca Junior, she wouldn't have heard her biological clock and there was no way in heaven or earth that she would have agreed to go out on a blind date with a man thirty years her senior.

Therefore, it was Recca's fault that Fuuko Kirisawa sat in the bar of _Ensui_, nursing her fourth bottle of beer with none other than the Boy Wonder, Tokiya Mikagami, whom she last seen in person when they were both in high school.

Tokiya Mikagami was one full year ahead of her and Recca. Back in their high school days, the ever-popular Mikagami wouldn't have given her and Recca time of the day. Except that occasionally, Mikagami would go slumming and hang out with them because he was, in some obscure way that nobody can really follow, related to Yanagi, Recca's then girlfriend (and later wife).

"So you and Hanabishi kept in touch after all these years." Mikagami asked with amusement before tilting a bottle of beer to his lips.

"Huh?" A little buzzed from all the tequila shots she'd chased with a swagger of beer, Fuuko was unable to process Mikagami's observation and merely watched, transfixed, as his throat worked when he swallowed the beer. With visible effort, Kirisawa brought her attention away from the man sitting before her and into the conversation there were having. "What was the question again?"

"Kirisawa," Mikagami smirked, not unaware of his devastating effect on the younger woman. "Pay attention. We are having an adult discussion here."

Kirisawa rolled her eyes and pointed at him with her beer. "Then stop being cute with me."

Mikagami's smile widened. "Aha. So you do find me cute. You gave me a few sleepless nights in high school, wondering if there was actually a girl in this planet capable of fending off my charm."

Kirisawa gave an unladylike snort. "You and charm? Not really compatible in one sentence unless there is a _not_ in between them." She frowned at him. "And what's with the Chatty Kathy act? As I recall when we were in high school, you were the broody, silent type. The ladies loved your mysterious aura. In fact, I think I prefer you that way."

Mikagami waited until Fuuko took a swallow of beer. "Charm school." He replied with a superior air.

As planned, the beer went down the wrong way, causing Fuuko to choke.

Mikagami laughed as he helpfully whacked Fuuko's back. He had almost forgotten how amusing the younger girl was.

"Charm school? Seriously?" She asked when was able to speak.

Mikagami nodded. "My P.R. Officer insisted upon it."

"P.R. Officer?" Fuuko's eyes were wide, violet orbs in her face.

"Oh? Didn't I tell you?" Mikagami heard from Yanagi-san that Fuuko spent most of her life now out of the country, so she had no idea of his recent windfall. He made a sign with his left hand to indicate the entire the restaurant. "I own this joint."

"Wow. Not bad, Mikagami." Fuuko laughed. "Though I never pegged you as a business person with P.R. concerns. You used to not care whatever people think of you."

"I still don't." He shrugged. "But, I care about _Ensui_. If it helps that I be cute and charming in public to promote it, I'll do it. So yeah, charm school." He grimaced. "Almost got kicked out twice for attempting to kill the clueless teachers there, but I made it through." He gave her the charm school smile.

Which made Fuuko groan. "That's scary."

"What is?"

"The smile." She shuddered. "Makes me feel like shark bait in an aquarium full of carnivorous predators."

Mikagami laughed. "Speaking of carnivores, I saw you on TV a while back." He said. "You were running after a hurricane, if I can remember correctly. Was going on alright but then, the hurricane got tired of running away and started running after you."

Fuuko grimaced. "Not one of our better times."

"So why are you here dating your grandfather instead of out there committing suicide by volcanic eruption?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you." Fuuko took one long swallow of her beer.

Mikagami grinned. "Try me."

Alcohol always had the effect of loosening Fuuko's tongue. "Promise me you won't laugh."

Mikagami kept silent, unwilling to make a promise he doesn't know if he would be able to keep.

"You know Recca Junior right?"

"Cute kid." He said. "But I'm not touching him with a ten-foot pole, though." He shuddered. "Questionable substances keep on ejecting from the different orifices of his body."

Fuuko rolled her eyes. "Well, the moment I held the kid with the questionable orifices in my arms, I realized that I wanted one also."

"Of course." Mikagami muttered.

"I heard that." Fuuko said as she finished off her beer.

"Desperate for male donors, huh?"

"Not just donors. I want the whole enchilada. You know, husband, two-point-five kids, a dog here and a cat there, white picket fences." She sighed dreamily as she re-created the picture in her mind.

Mikagami laughed.

"Go ahead and laugh now, Mikagami." She frowned at him. "But I'll have the last laugh twenty, thirty years down the road, when you're old and gray and lonely."

Mikagami merely snorted.

Fuuko contemplated her yet-again empty bottle of beer. "That's it. I'm done." She motioned for the bartender.

Mikagami waved the bartender away. "It's on the house, Kirisawa." He said. "For old time's sake."

"Thanks." Fuuko slid off her stool. Years of living abroad had taken its toll on her and out of habit, she stuck out her right hand for Mikagami to shake. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Mi-chan."

"You too, Kirisawa," he replied with amusement as he shook her hand. "And I'll even call you a cab," he offered when the young woman took a few unsteady steps towards the exit.

* * *

"Why is that a nice woman like you is allowed by her big, strong man to go home alone without protection?"

Fuuko groaned. Of all the cab drivers in the world, she just had to get this one.

Mikagami had not only poured her into a cab, he had also paid the driver fare money with more than enough tip.

"He's not my man," she replied shortly.

"So, he's somebody else's husband then, you're just a little piece of muslin on the side." The cab driver leered at her.

"I don't even know what that meant."

"Well, little lady, if you need someone to show you what a real man is, here's my card." Said card was presented to Fuuko with a flourish.

Fuuko blearily looked at the calling card the cab driver was giving her.

_Fujimaru_.

_Cab Driver Extrodinaire._

Fuuko gingerly took the card and slipped it into her purse.

"Tell you what," she told him. "If you keep silent the rest of the way, I'll make it worth your while."

Fujimaru's grin widened. "I always aim to please women. No woman has ever left my cab unsatisfied."

"Great."

"In fact, most women leave my cab with a big smile on their faces, if you know what I mean," he rhapsodized. "I always give a stellar performance, doncha know?"

Fuuko pointedly ignored him.

"I think it's the tongue." Fujimaru continued, undaunted.

"Please don't tell me anymore," Fuuko begged.

"It's very," Fujimaru paused in his monologue to show off his tongue. "Flexible."

Fuuko resisted the urge to pepper-spray the taxi driver, reminding herself that such job was very lonely indeed and that drivers take their jollies where they can.

That thought, however, didn't stop Fuuko from opening the car door and getting out of the vehicle the moment it stopped for a red light.

"This is my stop!" She said to the shocked driver.

Two blocks away from her home, Fuuko sighed in irritation. Her feet, which were pretty much used to Doc Martens and canvas sneakers, protested the unexpected walk in high heels.

No doubt about it, men were more trouble than they were worth.

She thought about swearing men off forever. But then, the ticking of her biological clock just got louder.

_Aw, heck_. It looked like it was back to the dating pool for her.

* * *

_to be continued . . ._

_(most probably soon)_


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,256

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 3_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 1: Ride through the park after dark in a horse-drawn carriage._

* * *

Fuuko ran her frustrations away.

Two days had passed since her disastrous date at _Ensui_. She hadn't gone out on a date since then, and she didn't know whether to be happy or be depressed about that.

So instead of brooding inside her apartment about her (lack of) love life, she decided to apply for membership in a nearby gym to work out. After all, she had planned to return to her physically-demanding job as correspondent after completing her PhD.

Without breaking her stride, Fuuko grabbed the towel draped on the treadmill and wiped her face. It, however, accidentally fell down on the floor as she was putting it back on the handlebars.

She had just turned off her machine to retrieve her towel when she saw a lithe but sinewy arm pick it up for her.

"Your towel fell on the floor," a deep voice drawled. "Here, take mine instead. I was just about to begin my work-out and I haven't used it yet. I'll just grab a fresh one with the front desk."

Intrigued, Fuuko turned to face the guy who picked up her towel.

And saw that the arm that she so admired was connected to a to-die-for body. A body that was slim yet made up of firm muscles. Bonus, said body came with a cute face and a great smile. The man before her had a head full of hair with bangs that flopped over one eye and almost half his face in the most adorable way. He also had chocolate brown eyes that all but drowned Fuuko with its depth and soulfulness. He was wearing a white gi that accentuated his slim body.

"Thank you," Fuuko gave what she hoped was her own great smile as she accepted the proffered towel. Clinging on to her mantra that she must have babies (or at the very least a fighting chance to have a baby) before she turned thirty, Fuuko gathered all her courage and extended her hand at the guy as she stepped off the treadmill. "Hi. I'm Fuuko Kirisawa, by the way."

"Saicho." His grin grew wider as he shook Fuuko's hand. He then released her hand and stepped back to formally bow at her.

"Oh." Fuuko blushed. "Sorry. I've been abroad for the longest time."

"It's fine."

"So, uh, thanks again." Without anything else to say, Fuuko motioned towards the treadmill as all her courage deserted her. "I better get back."

"Have a nice work-out." Saicho said. He then began to walk away.

Dejected, Fuuko turned back to her treadmill and stepped on it.

"Oh, and Kirisawa-san?"

Fuuko turned back. "Hai?"

"Do you want to meet at the health bar after your work out?"

"H-Hai!"

"See you later then." He called over his shoulder before walking out.

That pool of goo on the gym floor? Yup. That used to be Fuuko Kirisawa.

"Smooth, Kirisawa. Real smooth."

Fuuko almost had a whiplash from the speed her head snapped up. Her eyes made contact with a pair of sardonically amused ice blue eyes. She groaned. "Shut up, Mikagami."

"I haven't said anything yet," came the caustic reply.

"Preemptive strike." Fuuko offered by way of explanation to Mikagami's retreating back. That piece of ice block didn't even wait for the courtesy of a reply. She bit back a groan. It was just her luck! Out of all the gyms in the area, she just had to pick the one where Mikagami was a member.

Later, however, while drinking whey yogurt shake, Fuuko soon forgot about Mikagami and found herself saying yes to Saicho's dinner invitation. When she asked him where they would be going, a thoughtful look crossed Saicho's face. But instead of answering, Saicho simply smiled and told her to be in her best dress.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Fuuko felt like a princess. Complete with a real-life prince charming.

When the time came for Saicho to pick up Fuuko, she was pleasantly surprised to hear the ringing of the doorbell.

"Hi," Fuuko greeted him as she opened the door wider.

"You look great." Saicho followed her inside. "Here, these are for you," he said as he handed a bouquet of daisies to Fuuko, making her smile.

"Thank you." The sweet smell of flowers wafted towards Fuuko's nose. "I'll go find a vase to put these in and I'm ready to go."

Saicho was one surprise after another. After opening the door, Saicho stepped aside to allow Fuuko to precede him.

And was pleasantly surprised to see a carriage drawn by two white horses was waiting for them.

"Come on," taking her hand, Saicho gallantly handed her into the carriage.

"I never did anything like this before," Fuuko confessed as they were underway. Who would've guessed that tomboyish Fuuko would be riding in a horse-drawn carriage with her very own prince charming? No one, that's for sure. Not even her.

"Well, this is cheaper than _Ensui_." Saicho joked.

Fuuko shuddered. "Bad memories," she explained at Saicho's questioning look.

"Oh?"

Fuuko merely shrugged. "So where are we going?"

Saicho, being a gentleman right down to his toes, allowed Fuuko to change the subject. "I thought a picnic by the park would be nice."

"Thanks." Fuuko was oddly touched.

"For what?"

"For making me feel special." She looked away from him.

Saicho smiled as he reached for her hand. Fuuko looked back at him.

"I have a secret to tell you, Fuuko Kirisawa." He told her.

"What?"

"You are special."

"Who, me?" Fuuko's eyes widened. "Oh, no," but her denial was stopped by a single finger on her lips. But instead of being grossed out, Fuuko's heart almost leapt from her chest.

"Say 'Thank you, Saicho-san.'"

"Thank you, Saicho-san." Fuuko smiled.

* * *

"So, what's the catch?"

Fuuko glared at her drinking buddy. "What makes you think that there's a catch?"

_Was that a snort from Mikagami?_ Fuuko shrugged. Nah. It was probably the beer talking.

"Elementary, my dear Kirisiwa," the silver-haired bishounen began. "If your date was as perfect as you believed it was, you wouldn't be here at a sports bar on a date night, shooting tequilas with me."

Fuuko rolled her eyes. "I'm not here to drink with you," she argued. "I'm here to watch the NBA finals. That you were also here at the same time was just some crazy cosmic coincidence."

Mikagami merely shot her a disbelieving look.

"Come to think of it, you keep appearing wherever I am. Are you sure you're not stalking me?"

"Out with it." Unlike Saicho, Mikagami wouldn't allow Fuuko to change the subject.

Fuuko sighed and continued her story.

* * *

"That was the best dinner I had in ages." Fuuko all but gushed as she made herself comfortable on the carriage.

She and Saicho were on their way back to her house. The "picnic" Saicho took her to was a candle-lit dinner near the fountains at the very heart of their neighborhood park.

It was everything the fairy tales had said it was and by the end of the evening, Fuuko was on a romantic high and had stars in her eyes. Her evening could only be described as surreal.

Everything was perfect until—

"Whoa!" Their driver's shout was the only warning they got before the carriage screeched to a halt.

"Are you alright?" Saicho asked as he assisted Fuuko, who fell off because of the sudden stop, back to her seat.

"Yes." She replied. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the driver replied. "I had to stop on account of a girl who ran in the middle of the road. Yesiree, she's still there right now and she's bawlin' her eyes out."

"A girl?" Saicho frowned as he opened the door and nimbly alighted from the vehicle.

There was indeed a young woman crying in front of the carriage.

"M-Misora?" Saicho's eyes widened in shock.

"You know that woman?" Fuuko asked as she, too, went down the carriage.

It was a testament to Saicho's shock that he forgot his manners and failed to assist Fuuko down their vehicle.

* * *

"Who's Misora?" Mikagami pressed when Fuuko showed no signs of continuing with her story.

"The daughter of the owner of the gym where I meet Saicho-san. She's Saicho-san's childhood friend." Fuuko sighed.

"And?"

"And she finally confessed her love for Saicho. She overheard Saicho ask me out on a date and spied on us. Apparently she was in love with him since she was twelve."

"Let me guess, Saicho-san broke down and confessed that he also love her?"

Fuuko's painful moan was answer enough.

"And you had to once more take a cab home."

"Three guesses on who's the lucky cab driver who gets to drive me home."

"Not Fujimaru?" He had just heard the story about the _hentai_ cab driver moments earlier.

"The one and only," Fuuko shook her head. "I had no choice. I was waiting for an hour for a cab to arrive and the only cab driver's number I have is his."

Mikagami scribbled something on a table napkin which he handed to Fuuko. "My number in case you need someone to pick you up from another disastrous date."

"Thanks." She absentmindedly stirred her drink after tucking his number in her purse. "On the upside, I've got another date."

"You don't waste time, do you?" Mikagami chuckled. "Well, you know what they say," Mikagami shook her head. "Third time's the charm."

* * *

_to be continued . . ._

_(right after I catch that rabid plot-bunny)_


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,761

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 4_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 942: Spend an entire afternoon at the arcade._

* * *

"Say that again?" Fuuko Kirisawa resisted the urge to clean her ear with her pinkie. She wasn't sure if she correctly heard what the man standing before her was saying.

Not that she was in the mood for idle chit-chat. She had changed into her oldest and most comfortable pair of pajamas after coming home from another disastrous date. She was consoling herself regarding her string of cosmic bad luck with men, by eating a pint of cookie dough ice cream when someone knocked on her door.

Surprise, surprise! The man behind her peephole was none other than Tokiya Mikagami, looking resplendent in his grayish blue suit. Fuuko was starting to suspect that he had a sixth sense when it came to her dating disasters.

"You owe me, Kirisawa." he repeated the first thing that came out of his mouth the moment the door was opened.

"OK." Fuuko stepped aside to let the man in and led the way straight to her living room. "I'm a bit slow on the uptake today, so you have to explain yourself in clear and concise terms, not using more than four letters per word," she threw herself on the couch to resume her ice cream marathon. As an afterthought, she motioned for Mikagami to sit beside her.

Unlike Fuuko, Mikagami folded himself gracefully on the couch. "My date just canceled on me. I need a date to a fund-raiser tomorrow night."

Fuuko frowned. That was insulting on so many levels. But then she remembered that it was Mikagami she was talking to. That guy did not know bedside manner if it bit him in the arse, charm school or no charm school.

"Can you repeat the bit where I owe you?"

"You do owe me." he insisted as if he had just done her a huge favor.

"I heard you the first two times. I just wasn't sure I heard you correctly, though. How exactly do I owe you?"

"I listened to you whine about your dates." Mikagami explained. "Twice. Without complaint, I might add. I even plied you with alcohol both times." Then, he noted the ugly pajamas and the tub of half-empty ice cream. "And I have a feeling I'm about to hear you whine about another calamitous date."

"What makes you think that?" Fuuko demanded, knowing full well that her cheeks had become as red as ripe tomatoes.

"The Elmo pajamas," he deadpanned.

"Hey! Don't diss the Elmo," she retorted. "I had this since I was a college freshman."

"That's quite obvious."

Fuuko resisted the urge to stick her tongue out. Some people brought out the delinquent in her.

Mikagami stood up and grabbed Kirisawa's arm. "Come on, I'll make you something more substantial than that junk you're eating." He started dragging her towards her kitchen. "And talk while you're at it. The sooner you're done, the sooner we can discuss the function I'm attending."

Fuuko opened her mouth to protest his (correct) assumption that she had another one of those dates. But then, she realized that all of her adult friends, with whom she could share her dating dilemmas with, were abroad. Why spend a small fortune on long-distance calls when a willing (though not exactly gratuitous) ear was before her waiting to be bent? So she took a deep breath and began her story.

* * *

"Come on, you big sissy girl!" Fuuko screamed at the top of her lungs. "Punch his lights out!"

"Whoa! That's gotta hurt!" Her companion winced. "Hey! That was a cheap shot!"

Fuuko laughed. "You snooze, you lose!"

"Aw, man!" Her companion groaned as he furiously manipulated the joystick before him.

"Finish him." A commanding voice boomed.

"Yes!" Fuuko pumped one hand in the air as the character she was controlling on the video screen delivered the killing blow.

"You're quite good at this, aren't cha?"

Fuuko smiled at him. "I have a brother and a competitive streak. I've been told it's a volatile combination." She admitted. "But I haven't done this in a while. I've kinda forgotten how fun video games are."

Her companion grinned. "Isn't it?" He spoke with a lilting accent that had charmed Fuuko the moment they met.

Fuuko met her date in a motorcycle racetrack. Kurei, Recca's elder brother, gave Recca and Yanagi free tickets to watch a race. Yanagi, cringing at the thought of a huge concentration of testosterone trapped in one venue, made Recca take Fuuko instead.

Recca and Fuuko had a blast catching up with each others' lives while watching the motorcycles circle the track. And as a bonus, after the race, Kurei introduced them to a man whose claim to fame was being the greatest motorcycle racer in Japan. After a few minutes of small talk, the racer promptly asked Fuuko out on a date. Fuuko, charmed by the man's happy-go-lucky attitude and his off-the-wall sense of humor, agreed.

Of course, it didn't hurt that the racer had gorgeous long dirty-blond hair and a muscular body shown off by a loose-fitting tank top and form-fitting jeans. And the black bonnet that hid his eyes from the world lent him a certain hint of mystery that would send an average woman swooning.

Her date was known in the racing circle as . . .

* * *

"Joker?" Mikagami was incredulous. "Your date's name was Joker?" He paused in the middle of slicing carrots lest he cut his fingers.

"That's not his real name." Fuuko retorted defensively.

"So what is his real name?"

"His real name is," Fuuko paused, frowning. "I don't know exactly." She admitted.

"You went out with a guy whose name you didn't even know?" Mikagami was exasperated. "Do you know how dangerous that was?" The girl before him obviously needed a keeper. How she survived abroad on her own was a mystery to him.

"It was perfectly safe!" She protested. "We were in a public place. Plus Kurei vouched for him!"

Mikagami shook his head and turned to the counter to finish his slicing. He then placed the cubed carrots inside the blender filled with assorted pieces of fruits and shaved ice.

Fuuko waited until Mikagami turned off the blender. "So do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?" She demanded.

Mikagami poured the shake into two glasses and handed one to Fuuko before saying, "Go right ahead."

* * *

"Come on, it'll be fun," Joker coaxed.

Fuuko was hesitant. "But it's kinda embarrassing."

"It'll be worth it," Joker gave her his killer grin, made famous by a billboard in the middle of a major intersection.

Joker was not disappointed as Fuuko caved.

"Alright!" He laughed as he swiped a card at the scanner. "Dance Revo, here we come!" He exclaimed as he assisted Fuuko up the make-shift stage that doubled as controllers. "Don't worry, we'll start with the easy songs first."

Pretty soon, the two began hopping and stomping. A crowd gathered around them, cheering them on.

After a couple of songs, Fuuko had to bow out due to lack of skills on the dance machine. "That's it, I'm done!" Fuuko laughed.

"Aw," Joker was giving her the puppy-dog eyes. Fortunately for Fuuko, they were hidden by the dark bonnet that negligently covered a third of his face.

"Oh, you don't have to stop on my account," Fuuko hopped off the machine. "Go ahead, I'll just cheer you on."

"Nah," he said as he also jumped down. "It's no fun without you."

Fuuko resisted the urge to giggle and to coyly wrap a stand of her hair around her fingers like a high school girl.

"So what next?" Joker asked eagerly as he scanned the arcade. "Hmm. Decisions, decisions." Suddenly, Joker stilled. "Uh-oh."

Did Joker just say, 'Uh-oh'? Fuuko frowned. That didn't sound good. She looked around and saw what Joker was looking at.

A very beautiful woman, with a body worthy of a Victoria's Secret catalog, was striding purposely towards their direction. Fuuko noted that the boys in the arcade couldn't help but stare at the woman with blood-red hair. She would have been every man's fantasy except for the fact that attached to both her hands were two little girls.

Fuuko was not surprised when the woman stopped directly in front of Joker. "You're late." She snapped.

"But I was supposed to pick them up at-"

"Five?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "It's now six-thirty."

"Oh, sorry, luv," Joker looked apologetic. He kneeled to face the two children. "Sorry I was late."

The girl with pixie cut blue hair released the woman's hand and threw her arms around Joker. "It's OK, daddy."

It was Fuuko's turn to raise her eyebrows. Daddy?

Not to be outdone, the other girl, with hair the same shade as the woman by her side, also threw her arms around Joker.

When Joker stood up, he was carrying both girls on either arm.

"Oh," as if remembering his companion for the first time since the ladies arrived, Joker turned to Fuuko. "Sorry, Fuuko-san." He grinned. "By the way, this is my ex-wife, Neon. Neon, this is my date, Fuuko."

The two women regarded each other warily before acknowledging the others presence.

"And," Joker continued. "These two beautiful ladies are my kids. This is Aki," he was looking at the girl with blue hair. "And this is Miki."

* * *

"You certainly know how to pick them, Kirisawa," Mikagami snickered.

"It's not that he's already got children," Fuuko shrugged. "It's just that afterwards, Neon and I got to talking while Joker was playing with the kids."

"And?"

"According to Neon, being married to Joker was like being married to Peter Pan," Fuuko made a face. "I wanted a husband and a father to my future children, not a teenaged son."

Mikagami saw the anguish on Fuuko's face. "Are you sure Neon's telling the truth, Kirisawa? Maybe she's just making it up."

"It's possible," Fuuko shrugged. "I think she's still in love with him. She's just exasperated because he's so irresponsible and reckless. She probably thought that he'll try to change his lifestyle if she left."

"Then you know better that to believe all the things that come out her mouth, Kirisawa."

"Mi-chan, if there was any possibility that Neon and Joker could get back together, I don't want to stand in their way. Miki and Aki deserve to have their mom and dad together."

Mikagami had nothing to say to that.

Fuuko nodded glumly. "But enough about my problems. It's your turn. Did you say that one of Japan's most eligible bachelors just got dumped and needs a date tomorrow night?"

* * *

_to be continued . . ._

_(right after the break)_


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,558

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 5_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 353: Model your new clothes to get your date's opinion._

* * *

Mikagami resisted the very strong urge to rub his hands and cackle like an old-school _anime_ villain. Not only would such actions be very out of character, it would also cause him to spill the designer coffee inside the tumbler he was holding. So he contented himself by simply checking the time on his very expensive watch. Then, a smile, which could only be described as pure evil, crossed his lips.

_It's show time._

Mikagami walked up the steps of the house and pressed the doorbell. After a few seconds passed without any acknowledgment from the homeowner, he repeatedly rang the doorbell until he heard a crash followed by a string of colourful curses.

Perfect.

"What?" All of a sudden, the door was wrenched open, revealing a very disheveled Fuuko Kirisawa. She was barefoot, her oversized shirt rumpled and her hair sticking out in places. It was obvious that she just dragged herself out of bed.

Fuuko glared at Mikagami. The glare, however, was lost on the man when he noticed that her other eye was still closed. Plus, she was almost cute when she was mad and out of sorts.

He smirked.

"Do you know what time it is?" Fuuko bit out, still glaring at him with one eye.

Mikagami made a show of checking his watch even though he already knew. "It's ten in the morning." Which normal people would probably consider as _Way Past Time to Wake Up_, but it was too early for a night owl like Fuuko.

"Just as I thought," Fuuko mumbled as she started to close the door on her unexpected, and definitely unwanted, visitor.

Unfortunately, Mikagami already had a foot inside and forcibly pushed his way past her. "No time for that."

"It's too early in the morning to be trading barbs with you, Mi-chan. Try calling again in a couple of hours and I just might be awake enough to humor you."

"I've come to collect a debt, Kirisawa," he told her as shoved the cup of coffee at her.

"At ten o'clock in the morning?" Fuuko asked as she accepted the offered drink and took a suspicious sip. Satisfied that there was nothing fishy inside, she gulped it down. "Mmm." With the sudden boost from the caffeine, she found enough strength to open both eyes.

"No time like the present."

"Why?" Fuuko led the way to the couch where she curled up with her coffee. "Isn't the payment for my non-existent debt supposedly dinner tonight? It's still too early."

"As if I'll take you out to dinner without pre-approving your choice of clothes."

"Hey!" Fuuko protested as Mikagami started to poke his head from room to room until he found her bedroom. "No trespassing!"

But she was too late. By the time she made it to her bedroom, Mikagami was already elbow-deep in her closet. "Mikagami!"

"Just as I thought." Mikagami gave her the same attention he would give to an annoying gnat. "You have nothing decent to wear."

"I was planning on buying an outfit later!" Came her indignant reply. Only Fuuko's sheer will kept her from decking Mikagami.

"Knowing you, you'll probably buy the first outfit you try on that fits."

"Your point being?" Fuuko merely intensified her glare. He was right. She hated shopping and would probably do everything in her power to make the experience short and painless.

"This is your lucky day, Kirisawa." Mikagami told her as he glanced disapprovingly at Fuuko's closet. "I just happen to be available today at your disposal."

"You?" Fuuko snorted. "What do you know about clothes?"

"A lot more than you, apparently," was his reply as he lifted a tangerine polka-dot blouse.

"That was Ganko's present!"

"When she was seven, I'd bet. She has more taste now."

Ganko was nine when she gave the gift, but Mikagami did not have to know about that. He was insufferable enough as he was.

* * *

Fuuko was woman enough to admit that she was wrong. Who would have thought that Mikagami knew his way around a woman's boutique? Even if his contributions were limited to a couple of decisive murmurs of "No, not that," and "Try this on, Kirisawa."

The moment the two of them stepped in the clothing store, where a dress cost one year of Fuuko's salary, Mikagami took charge of the shopping expedition. He charmed the salespeople inside into picking and choosing outfits that would fit his companion.

One dress after another were removed from the racks, plucked from the storage rooms and unpacked from boxes until one genius of a saleswoman took out an emerald green halter dress.

And Fuuko Kirisawa, tomboy-extraordinaire, promptly fell in love.

The dress was bold. The dress was daring. The dress was Fuuko.

"I think we have a winner." Mikagami murmured. "Try it on, Kirisawa."

Mutely, Fuuko followed the salesperson into the changing room.

"We'll take it." Mikagami told the salesperson the moment Fuuko stepped out.

The dress would have overwhelmed a lesser woman, but it was perfect for Fuuko's body and personality.

"Hey!" Fuuko protested, more because of some perverse desire to be contrary than any objection to the dress. "I'll be the judge of that."

"Well?" Came the impatient reply.

"We'll take it." She told the salesperson primly.

"Good." Mikagami said as he handed his credit card to the cashier.

"Hey! My dress, my money," Fuuko said as she tried to locate her purse, buried somewhere underneath the discarded dresses.

"Think of it as a gift, Kirisawa."

"But—"

Mikagami simply waved her objections off. The salesperson and the cashier, used to Mikagami being in-charge, quickly rang up the sale.

Fuuko felt like a kept woman. She just was not sure if that was necessarily a bad thing.

* * *

Fuuko learned that there were a lot of perks in befriending a chef who owned his own restaurant. After shopping, Fuuko declared herself hungry and Mikagami drove them to Ensui, which was already full of people enjoying lunch. However, Mikagami simply hustled Fuuko into the kitchen where he commandeered a workstation that was isolated from the usual hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant. Instead of ordering his staff to wait on them hand and foot, Mikagami simply gathered his own ingredients and started preparing lunch.

"She dumped you because you _what_?" Fuuko demanded incredulously.

Mikagami glared at her without breaking his stride slicing thin pieces of fish.

Fuuko tried desperately to stifle her laugh, having learned long ago the wisdom of not laughing at a man holding a sharp knife.

"Pay attention, Kirisawa," Mikagami set aside the slivers of flesh he cut up and started mixing up various ingredients in a tiny saucer. "Because this will be the last time I'll repeat myself."

Fuuko did not say anything but her grin grew wider.

"Marie did not dump me." He told her. "I simply told her that we were not working out." Having finished mixing numerous ingredients together, Mikagami grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a table napkin. He then took a sliver of fish, dipped it in the mixed ingredients, and offered it to Fuuko, placing the napkin under her chin to protect her clothes.

"Because she wanted to tie you up?" Fuuko asked sweetly before biting the fish off the chopsticks. She chewed and swallowed. "The sauce needs a little more _oomph._"

Mikagami's glare darkened as he added an ingredient into the liquid concoction. "She was normal when I asked her out."

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say," Fuuko waved her hand in an airy gesture before trying to steal a piece of fish with her fingers.

Mikagami slapped her straying hand away. "She didn't seem to be the type who's into bondage." He grumbled as he handed her a new pair of chopsticks.

"How typical of a man to be scared of a strong woman who goes after what she wants." Fuuko laughed. She took a slice of fish and dipped it into the improvised sauce and nodded her approval.

"She had metal restraints bolted on the wall beside her bed, Kirisawa."

"What, you were getting hot and heavy in her bedroom and suddenly, she cuffed you?"

Mikagami's silence was answer enough.

"So why do you need a date again? Why not just go stag? Or not go at all?"

"Patriarch's order." He replied, referring to his paternal grandfather. "An invitation is tantamount to a royal summons. Ignore under pain of death."

Fuuko smiled, thinking of her own autocratic grandmother.

"The benefit dinner is to raise funds for the foundation my sister's chairing. Whatever my sister wants, the Patriarch gets for her." He continued.

"And your desperation to get a date?" Fuuko prompted.

"The entire clan is going to be there. If I show up without a date, my mother will get on my case." Mikagami suppressed a shudder. "She wanted grandchildren. I think she already gave up on my sister, who's even more of a workaholic than I am. So that leaves me."

"Ah. So if you show up with a date, you could fend her off by saying that at least you're trying to find your one true love."

"Exactly."

"Clever."

"I thought so too." He then plated the fish and the sauce and pushed it in front of Fuuko.

"I can't believe I turn to you for romantic advice. Your love life's more pathetic than mine."

* * *

_To be continued._

_(soon, I hope)_


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,719

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's _Manhunting_ and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' _2002 Things To Do On A Date_. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (_there is a reason this is called fanfiction_).

Beta-Reader: None (yikes!)

* * *

**Comedy of Errors**

_Chapter 6_

* * *

_Things to do on a date # 1550: Visit with your family._

* * *

After countless years of communing with Mother Nature, survival became second-nature to Fuuko Kirisawa. In the dog-eat-dog world of the wild, one learns to adjust to one's environment, or one simply ceases to exist.

That is why, upon arrival at the jungle, Fuuko's survival instincts kicked in. She knew she was out of her element, and her highest change of survival would depend on her ability to hide.

"Do I even want to know why you are hiding behind the potted plant, Kirisawa?" Mikagami asked dryly.

_Rats. Foiled by a predator in a tuxedo_. Fuuko stood up from her crouching position and faced her captor. Fuuko looked at her alleged date critically. Well, if she was going to get caught, she might as well be caught by a cute-looking wolf and not the She-Vulture she was hiding from. But she planned to milk the situation for all it was worth.

"You Judas Iscariot!" She accused him vehemently. "How can you abandon me?"

"Can you blame me?" Mikagami's teeth flashed in a grin. He glanced around the crowded ballroom and noted that some people, namely the press invited to cover the fund-raiser, were glancing their way with speculation.

"No." Fuuko admitted. "If the situation was reversed, I would have done the same thing."

"I'm sorry to have unleashed that upon you. But it was either you or me, Kirisawa."

"And you would rather it to be me." Fuuko concluded glumly.

"Of course." He replied. "That's why you are here in the first place."

"There you are, Kirisawa-san." A cool, sophisticated voice entered the duo's conversation. "I was looking everywhere for you. What are you doing behind that potted plant?"

Fuuko gave Mikagami an anguished glance before facing the new-comer, the reason he abandoned her within thirty minutes of arriving at the fund-raiser. Fuuko's She-Vulture. "Mikagami-san," she greeted Mikagami's mother. "I was just getting some fresh air."

Amaya Mikagami, a renowned socialite, was in her element at her daughter's fund-raising party. Her deep blue dress hugged her curves and highlighted her icy-blue eyes. Her pale blond hair, which was piled atop her head, was discreetly colored to hide its silver streaks. Fuuko had to admit that the woman in front of her did not look like she already had a fully-grown son.

Unfortunately, for all her beauty, Amaya Mikagami was a dominating force of nature, whose only wish now was to see her children married so that she may have grandchildren to mold into her image and likeness.

That being told, Mikagami (the bastard!) dropped quite a few obvious hints to his mother that things were getting pretty serious between him and his date.

"Very vell, Kirisawa-san, break time is over." Amaya frowned in disapproval. "Do stand up straight. Slouching will not do if you plan on becoming a Mikagami. Come on. There is someone you absolutely have to meet."

A steel grip latched on Fuuko's arm. _Help me!_ The younger woman begged her date as she was dragged away by her elder.

Mikagami, being smart and well-versed in survival techniques himself, pretended not to notice.

"Your mother likes your date."

"How can you tell?" Tokiya Mikagami asked with a smirk as he turned to look at his father.

"She's introducing Kirisawa-san to your grandfather." Yuki Mikagami smiled indulgently.

_Ah, crap_. Tokiya winced. If Ayama was bad, his grandfather was worse!

It was, however, Tokiya's turn to be surprised. He didn't know that Kirisawa had it in her. With a intimate smile or two, she was able to charm her way into the Mikagami patriarch's good graces.

Father and son watched in amazement as the crusty senior took hold of Fuuko's hand and started to lead her to the dance floor.

"Lecherous old geezer." Tokiya muttered as he watched his grandfather's arms encircle Fuuko's waist. Unfortunately, he was heard by his father.

Yuki Mikagami chuckled. "A woman like that comes only once in a lifetime, son." He said. "A smart man wouldn't let her get away." With that parting shot, Yuki walked away.

* * *

The secret to surviving in the jungle is stealth. Especially if one had just escaped the clutches of a predator.

In her haste to escape the clutches of the She-Vulture, Fuuko almost missed the flash of brown that may may spell the difference between life and death.

In the wild where might makes right, the weak protect themselves by going out in groups. Safety in numbers.

"Yanagi-chan!" Fuuko called out. "You don't know how glad I am to see you!" From her hiding place behind the buffet table, she hurriedly made her way to a table occupied by the brunette and an unfamiliar male.

Of course Yanagi was going to be here. She was, after all, a distant relative of the Mikagamis. Silly Fuuko for not making the connection earlier.

"So where's that idiot you call your husband?" Fuuko asked.

The conversation at the table suddenly halted. Both its occupants stared at the newcomer.

"I'm sorry," Yanagi told Fuuko with a frown. "I think you may have mistaken me for someone else."

"Don't tell me you forgot about me, Yanagi-chan." Fuuko moaned. "I know we haven't seen each other for years when I was abroad, but I was just in your house, like, three weeks ago. And you were eight months pregnant." Fuuko's eyes then trailed down to the other woman's flat stomach. "You are not Yanagi-chan, are you?"

The Yanagi-lookalike shook her head almost apologetically.

"And the floor's not going to open up to swallow me whole, isn't it?" Fuuko felt her face getting red.

"I'm afraid not."

An awkward silence fell at the table.

"I'll just—" Fuuko began the same time the man at the table stated, "Don't worry about it."

"I'm Mifuyu Mikagami." The brown-haired woman smiled. "I get mistaken for Yanagi-chan a lot."

"Oh." Realization dawned on the younger girl's face. Mifuyu. Mikagami's nee-chan. "Oh! You probably don't remember me, but we went to the same high school together. I'm Fuuko Kirisawa."

"Fuuko Kirisawa?" The guy at the table butted in. "_The_ Fuuko Kirisawa?"

"As far as I know, I'm the _only_ Fuuko Kirisawa there." She told the guy.

"Don't you remember me?" The big guy asked as he stood up from the table. "Me? My sugar-pie? My honey? My love?"

Fuuko's eyes widened in shock.

"It's me, Domon Ishijima."

* * *

"Nice hiding place." Came a sardonic voice. "Mother's been looking everywhere for you."

"Toki-chan, you know each other?" Mifuyu asked in amazement while motioning for her brother to have a seat.

"She's my date, nee-chan." He smirked as he seated himself beside his absentee date.

Fuuko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Mikagami, you do remember Domon Ishijima, don't you?"

"Of course." He replied as he turned to the younger man. "This benefit dinner is for you, correct? I always research my sister's causes before I pour money into them."

"It's for my kids, actually." Domon smiled. The reason Fuuko did not recognize his high school friend was because he not only shaved off his Mohawk and was now completely bald, facial hair had covered almost half his face.

"Your kids?" Fuuko raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a P.E. teacher for a school at the wrong side of town." Domon clarified. "Because of the recent recession, there were cuts to the school's budget, especially in its athletic and music department. I heard about Mifuyu-san's philanthropic projects so I took a chance and approached her." He motioned to the sparking ballroom. "And the rest, as they say, is history."

"Who would've thought that you would turn out to be a teacher, Domon?" Fuuko grinned. "You've certainly come a long way."

"And who would've thought that you and Mikagami-san would turn up together?" Domon grinned.

"Oh no," Fuuko started to deny the allegation, but she was interrupted by her pseudo-date.

"Who would've thought indeed?" Tokiya smirked as he wrapped an arm around Fuuko's shoulders.

Fuuko gave the blue-eyed man a sneaky elbow which merely earned her a chuckle.

"So here you all are!" A familiar voice which made Fuuko's skin crawl joined in.

Activity suddenly erupted from their table.

"I hear one of the kids calling me."

"I just remembered that I promised one dance with Dad before the night is over."

"Excuse me a moment, I got a phone call."

Fuuko opened her mouth to manufacture an excuse, but Ayama beat her to it. "It looks like it'll be just the two of us again, ne, Fuuko-chan?"

Fuuko barely suppressed a groan.

* * *

"Thanks, Kirisawa, I owe you one."

The ride back to Fuuko's house was made in silence after the woman admitted that she was suffering a headache. Hence, Mikagami broke the silence only when he was parked in the driveway of her rented house.

"It's more like you owe me a million." Came the terse reply.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Your dad was such a gentleman, your nee-chan was charming and your grandfather was a dear," Fuuko said. "But your mother!" She shuddered. "I can't believe you abandoned me thrice—thrice!—alone with her."

"What's wrong with my mother?"

"She's controlling, domineering, meddling, and—and," Fuuko deflated as she ran out of adjectives.

"She reminded you of your own mother?" Mikagami supplied.

"Yes!" Came the frustrated reply. "It's almost eerie. If ever those two decide to join forces, I daresay they could take over the world! The world, Mikagami!"

Seeing how overwrought his so-called date was, Mikagami decided that to laugh was tantamount to signing his death sentence. "I'll walk you to your door." He said instead. He alighted the vehicle, walked to Fuuko's side and gallantly opened the car door and walked her to apartment.

"But you're right, Mikagami." Fuuko admitted as the man took her house key and opened her door. "It wasn't that bad. There were parts I actually enjoyed."

"I enjoyed tonight, too." Mikagami handed back her house key and stepped closer to Fuuko.

Fuuko's eyes widened.

"Thanks, again." Mikagami suddenly swooped down and feathered quick butterfly kisses at Fuuko's forehead, cheeks, and finally at her lips.

Fuuko froze in shock.

"Sweet dreams, Kirisawa." Mikagami gave her his trademark smirk and stepped back, but not before he tucked an errant strand of purple hair behind Fuuko's ears.

Fuuko gave Mikagami a horrified look, before making a hasty retreat inside her house.

* * *

_to be continued . . ._

(eventually)


End file.
